PostHog vs Mixpanel
PostHog is a whole toolkit for product engineers: analytics, session replay, feature flags, experiments, surveys and error tracking, open source, priced by use with no seats. Mixpanel is focused product analytics with replay and experiments added, known for reports that people outside engineering build easily. Both start free with 1M events a month.
The short version
Pick PostHog if
- Your engineers want analytics, flags, experiments, surveys and error tracking in one tool
- You'd like open source, SQL over your data, or to host a small setup yourself
- You'd rather pay for what you use, with no charge per seat
Pick Mixpanel if
- Product managers and marketers build most of the reports
- Analytics is what you need; flags and surveys can live elsewhere
- You want more replays on the free plan: 10K a month against PostHog's 5K
PostHog and Mixpanel, side by side
| Topic | PostHog | Mixpanel |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 1M events, 5K replays, 1M flag requests, 1,500 survey responses, 100K exceptions a month | 1M events and 10K replays a month |
| Paid plans | Pay as you go, priced by use, no seats | Priced by events (Growth), then Enterprise |
| Feature flags and experiments | Yes | Yes |
| Surveys and error tracking | Yes | Not listed on its pricing page |
| Open source and self-hosting | Open source (MIT); a small self-hosted setup, without support | No |
| Who builds the reports | Mostly engineers, with SQL when needed | Anyone on the team |
| Store downloads and reviews | Not a focus | Not a focus |
Checked on 26 October 2026 against PostHog pricing, PostHog self-hosting, Mixpanel pricing. Something out of date? Tell us at hello@apparent.fyi and we'll fix it.
Where they overlap
Both record events from web and mobile apps, build funnels, retention and cohorts, and include session replay, feature flags and experiments. Both start free with 1 million events a month.
Where PostHog goes further
- More tools in one place: surveys, error tracking, a data warehouse and SQL.
- Open source, and you can host a small setup yourself.
- No seat pricing: the whole team can use it.
Where Mixpanel goes further
- Reports that people outside engineering build easily.
- More session replays on the free plan.
- A tool that stays focused on analytics.
Where Apparent fits
If you make iOS or Android apps on your own or in a small team and would rather read a sentence than build a report, Apparent may fit better than either: who is in your app right now and what they do, from its own SDK, plus reviews and sales from App Store Connect, Google Play and RevenueCat if you connect them, with all your apps on one page. It has no flags, experiments, surveys or replay; if you need those, pick PostHog or Mixpanel.
Questions
Is PostHog free?
PostHog's free plan covers 1 million analytics events, 5,000 replays, 1 million feature flag requests and 1,500 survey responses a month (October 2026). Above that you pay for what you use.
Can I self-host PostHog?
Yes, a small open-source setup with Docker Compose. PostHog doesn't support it and suggests its cloud above about 300,000 events a month.
Is PostHog cheaper than Mixpanel?
Both include 1 million events a month for free. Above that both are priced by use; price them with your own numbers, and count replays, flags and surveys if you'd use them.
Which is better for a mobile app?
Both have SDKs for iOS, Android, React Native and Flutter. PostHog if your engineers want one toolkit; Mixpanel if the reports are for the whole team.
What does Apparent cost?
Plans start at $10 a month, with 14 days free and no card.